Kerala tipper lorry crash kills 3 at Kollam bus stop, buries victims under soil
At least three people were killed, and five others were injured after a tipper lorry carrying soil went out of control and crashed into a
At least three people were killed, and five others were injured after a tipper lorry carrying soil went out of control and crashed into a bus stop in Kerala's Kollam district on Tuesday morning, police said. The impact caused the soil in the vehicle to spill onto people waiting there, burying several of them under the heap. Among those killed was a student who was waiting to catch a bus to school. Officials said three of the injured were seriously hurt and were shifted to a private hospital in Kollam for specialised treatment, while the state government directed that all necessary medical support be provided. Read Full Story Police said the accident took place at Neeleswaram in Kottarakkara.
Health officials said Parthipan, 15, Harilal, 54, and Ajayakumar, 50, were brought dead to Kottarakkara Taluk Hospital. The injured were identified as Rishabh, 15, Kaushik, 15, and Nizam, 40, who suffered serious injuries and were moved to a private hospital in Kollam for specialised treatment. Navaneeth Krishnan, 13, and Jiby Mol, 15, sustained minor injuries, officials said. Police said efforts were initially taken to find out whether anyone was still trapped under the heap of soil after the crash. An eyewitness said she and a few others had a narrow escape. "I was standing some distance away from the bus stop. The tipper lorry was coming at a high speed. I don't know whether it lost its brakes.
It rammed into those standing at the bus stop and the soil loaded in the vehicle fell on them," she told reporters. Meanwhile, Health and Devaswom Minister K Muraleedharan directed officials to ensure specialised treatment for those being treated at private hospitals. He said a special medical team had been kept ready at the Thiruvananthapuram Medical College Hospital to deal with any emergency arising from the accident. The team includes specialists from departments such as General Surgery and Orthopaedics, and its work will be coordinated by the Medical College Hospital Superintendent. The minister added that Health Department officials were also in touch with the private hospitals treating the injured and would take all necessary steps.
State ministers Bindu Krishna and PC Vishnunadh, along with senior Congress leader and MP Kodikunnil Suresh, visited the accident site and spoke to local residents. Vishnunadh said the government would bear the treatment expenses of the injured and that the issue of financial assistance for the families of those killed would be taken up with the government. The crash at the bus stop in Kollam district left three people dead, including a student, and five others injured, with three of them seriously hurt. Police and health authorities continued their response as the government moved to provide treatment and consider assistance for the affected families. Ends
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